Technical hitch mars JJ's programme

The many television viewers who rushed home on 4th May to watch the CNN Global Forum which featured some selected world leaders including President Rawlings of Ghana were disappointed when technical problems marred part of the program, writes Joe Bradford Nyinah of the Daily Graphic.

It all happened when the specially-provided satellite telephone line to the Castle broke down at the very moment President Rawlings was scheduled to come on. According to GBC technicians, who were present, the sudden break meant the President could not hear anything from the CNN centre in Atlanta, Georgia from where the programme was being produced.

It was therefore the producer from the CNN, Mrs Ingrid Pomanek who was in the country for the programme who took the initiative to have President Rawlings to start speaking.

After several attempts, the producer managed to cut in. According to the technicians, the TV satellite dam link in Atlanta also went of thus forcing President Rawlings to continue the programme via telephone.

By that time however, the programme was getting to the end and so only one minute could be allocated.

The GBC technicians who had spent a number of days fixing the equipment and rehearsing the programme were disappointed.